Roll blind

ABSTRACT

A roll type blind including a hollow tube for suspending and winding a curtain therearound, two opposite fixing means for rotatably supporting said hollow tube through a coupling means and a pulley means operatively connected thereto. The fixing means may be mounted on the ceiling or the wall selectively. Winding or unwinding operation of the curtain around the hollow tube may be effected by manually drawing the endless rope mounted around the pulley means.

United States Patent Nakamura Dec. 17, 1974 ROLL BLIND 2,574,366 11/1951 Zacharis l 1 160/321 3,149,811 9/1964 Fremstad et a1. 248/261 [76] Invent Isam "3 1244403 3,521,694 7 1970 Anderson 160/323 R 5-chome, Mmam1-Aoyama, Minatoku, Tokyo, Japan [22] Filed: Mar. 8, 1973 Primary Examiner-Peter M. Caun [30] Foreign Application Priority Data May 17, 1972 Japan 1 47-57761 May 23, 1972 Japan 1 47-60382 May 23, 1972 Japan 47-60383 July 7, 1972 Japan 47-80363 [52] U.S. Cl. 160/323, 160/321 [51] Int. Cl A47h 1/10 [58] Field of Search 160/323-326, 160/319, 321, 250, 263; 248/207, 25l273 {56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,445,452 7/1948 Peed 160/321 [57] ABSTRACT A roll type blind including a hollow tube for suspending and winding a curtain therearound, two opposite fixing means for rotatably supporting said hollow tube through a coupling means and a pulley means operatively connected thereto. The fixing means may be mounted on the ceiling or the wall selectively. Winding or unwinding operation of the curtain around the hollow tube may be effected by manually drawing the endless rope mounted around the pulley means.

4 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PAIENIEQ SEC 1 7 :974

SHEET 2 OF 3 FBGA FlG.6

FIG.7

PATEHIEU BEE] 7 I974 saw 3 BF FIGS ROLL BLIND BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a roll type blind and, more particularly, to a roll blind providing a curtain winding tube which can be replaced readily.

A principal object of the invention is to provide a novel blind in which a curtain winding tube can be removed from the fixing means quickly by a simple manual operation.

It is a feature of the present invention that the hollow tube for suspending and winding the curtain is rotatably supported by two opposite fixing means through a coupling means adapted to be connected at its one end to one end of the hollow tube and to be rotatably beared at its opposite end by the fixing means and a pulley means adapted to be connected at its one end to the op posite end of the hollow tube and rotatably beared at its opposite end by the other fixing means.

The fixing means in accordance with the present invention is generally comprised of a disc having at its periphery an inwardly projecting square rim extended across a corner portion and provided at its straight portions with two or more recesses, an inwardly projecting curved rim having two openings positioned in symmetrical relations against said straight portions of the square rim and a horseshoe bearing positioned at the center of the disc with a port directed to the corner portion.

A coupling means used in the present invention is preferably comprised of a flanged hollow tube having at its periphery two or more axially extending channels adapted to fit with two or more ridges extended axially along an inner wall of the rotary hollow tube and a short shaft of somewhat smaller diameter than the inner diameter of the bearing provided in the fixing means and extended from the outer face of the flange.

Further, a pulley means preferably has substantially the same structure as that of the coupling means but the flange is provided with a circular groove for mounting an endless rope therearound under a function of pressure of a circular spring and an outer face of the flange is formed with a circular cavity so that the terminal end of the short shaft substantially resides in the plane of said outer face of the flange.

It is, therefore, another objects of the prevent invention to provide a blind which comprises a rotary hollow tube for suspending and winding a curtain which is rotatably supported by two opposite fixing means, said fixing means including a disc having at its periphery an inwardly projecting square rim extended across a corner portion and provided at its two straight portions with two or more recesses, an inwardly projecting curved rim having two openings positioned in symmetrical relations with said straight portions of the square rim and a horseshoe bearing positioned at the center of the disc with a port directed to the corner portion, through a coupling means adapted to be connected at its one end to one end of the rotary hollow tube and to be rotatably beared at its opposite end by the fixing means, said coupling means including a flanged hollow tube having at its periphery two or more axially extending channels adapted to fit with two or more ridges extended axially along an inner wall of the hollow tube and a short shaft of somewhat smaller diameter than the inner diameter of the bearing provided in the fixing means and extended from the outer face of the flange, and a pulley means of substantially the same structure as that of the coupling means and adapted to be connected at its one end to the opposite end of the hollow tube and rotatably beared at its opposite end by the other fixing means, which pulley means including a flange having at its periphery a circular groove for mounting an endless rope therearound under a function of pressure of a circular spring and a circular cavity formed in an outer face of the flange with a short shaft having a terminal which substantially resides in the plane of said outer face of the flange.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS pulley means acview of the pulley means associated with the fixing means and in a position to be secured to the wall;

FIG. 4 is a frangmentarily enlarged cross sectional view similar to FIG. 3 but showing that the fixing means is in a position to be secured to the ceiling;

FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged perspective view of the bottom end of the curtain;

FIG. 6 is a partially enlarged perspective view of a curtain weight;

FIG. 7 is a partially sectioned view of the bottom of the curtain in which a tightening pin is inserted; and

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the blind in assembled position.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Refering now in more detail to the drawings wherein like parts are indicated by like reference numerals and initially to FIG. 1, there is illustrated therein a blind which comprises a rotary hollow tube 10 for suspending and winding a curtain 12 therearound. The tube 10 along its longitudinal extention is provided with a slit 14 through which an upper end 16 of the curtain 12 is guided from an open end of the tube 10 for engagement therewith. The tube 10 is also provided at its inner circumferential wall with two or more axially extending ridges 15 for engagement with the channels provided on the periphery of the tube of the coupling means as hereinafter fully described. Opposite ends of the rotary tube 10 is rotatably supported by a fixing means 18 through a coupling means 20.

As best shown in FIG. 1, the fixing means 18 includes a disc 22 having an inwardly projecting square rim 24 which extends over substantially a half of the peripheral edge of the disc 22 across a corner portion 26 and thus it will be appreciated that the square rim 24 includes two straight portions 28, 30 having two recesses 31 respectively through which fitting screws are threaded into the base plate for securing purpose. The

disc 22 is further provided with an inwardly projecting curved rim 32 which extends over the remaining half of the peripheral edge of the disc 22 and opposite ends of the curved rim 32 are abutted to the opposite ends of the square rim 24. In the curved rim two openings 34, 36 are provided in symmetrical relation with the straight portions 28, 30 of the square rim 24. As hereinbefore described the fixing means in accordance with the present invention may be secured to the wall or the ceiling selectively as desired, thus the straight portions 28, 30 may be used selectively for the purpose. For example, when the straight portion 30 is attached to the wall, the opening 36 is used for leading the rope or string. On the other hand, in case the straight portion 28 is attached to the ceiling, the opening 34 is serviceable for the same purpose as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

Now back to FIG. 1, the disc 22 at its center is provided with a bearing 38 of substantially horseshoe form with a port 39 somewhat wider than the diameter of the shaft of the coupling means hereinafter described and directed to the corner portion 26 between the straight portions 28 and 30 of the rim 24.

Between the openings 34 and 36 of the curved rim 32 is recessed to form an inlet 40 for the shaft of the coupling means hereinafter described.

The coupling means 20 includes a hollow shaft 42 having at its periphery several axially extending channels 44 adapted to be fitted with the ridges of the hollow tube 10, a flange protion 46 and an outwardly projecting shaft 48 of a smaller diameter than the inner diameter of the bearing 38 and adapted to be rotatably supported by the bearing 36 of the fixing means 18, the parts of the coupling means being integrally formed.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the pulley means 49 has substantially the same structure as that of the coupling means but the flange 50 is provided at its periphery with a circular groove 52 encompassing the flange 50 around which an endless rope 54 is mounted with a ring spring 56 for depressing the rope 56 to the bottom of the circular groove 52 so that the pulley means 49 when the endless 54 is drawn rotates positively without causing any slipping or idling of the endless rope around the pulley. An outer face of the flange 50 is formed with a circular cavity 58 and a shaft 60 extended therefrom with such a length that the end of the shaft 60 terminates substantially in the plane of the outer face of the flange 50 as will be seen from FIG. 2.

In FIGS. 1 and 5 the curtain 12 at its bottom end is turned up with an expanded end 62 which contains fibrous material therein and is extended over the whole width of the curtain. To the expanded end 62 is attached a weight 64 extending over the complete length thereof. The weight'64 along its whole axial length is providedwith a slot 66 for accomodating the curtain cloth and an expanded groove 68 for receiving the expanded end 62 as shown in FIG. 6.

The end of the curtain is inserted into the weight 64 through either end of the weight and after the complete attachment of the weight 64, a pin 70 having a cap 72 is inserted into the expanded end 62 of the curtain as shown in FIG. 7 so that the expanded end 62 is further expanded to tighten the connection between the expanded end 62 of the curtain and the expanded groove 68 of the weight.

All parts and components of the blind except the curtain and the endless rope are preferably made of synthetic resin.

On installation of the blind according to the invention, the fixing means l8, 18 are secured through their respective square rims 24, 24 to the frame 74 as shown in FIG. 8 and then the coupling 20 is connected to hollow tube 10 with shaft 48 projecting from one end of the hollow tube 10 and the pulley 49 is connected to the opposite end of the tube I0 with shaft facing outwardly. Shafts 48 and 60 after being passed through inlet 40 and port 39 are received in bearings 38, 38.

While, certain embodiments of the invention have been illustrated by way of example in the drawings and particularly described, it will be understood that various modifications may be made in constructions and that the invention is no way limited to the embodiments shown.

What I claim is:

l. A blind which comprises a rotary hollow tube for supending and winding an element about the hollow tube, a pair of fixing means fixably mountable to wall means of a room for supporting said hollow tube, coupling means for rotatably connecting said hollow tube to one of the pair of fixing means, pulley means for rotatably connecting said hollow tube to the other of the pair of fixing means, each of the pair of fixing means including (a) a disc portion having at its periphery an inwardly projecting square rim comprising a straight and a curved portion respectively provided with (b) at least two recesses and two openings, said openings being positioned in symmetrical opposed relation to said straight portions of the square rim, and (c) a horseshoe shaped bearing provided, at the center of the disc, with an access opening adapted to receive shaft portions respectively provided on said coupling and pulley means.

2. A blinding according to claim 1, wherein the coupling means includes a flanged second hollow tube having at its periphery at least two axially extending channels adapted to receive at least two ridges which extend axially along an inner wall of said rotary hollow tube, said shaft portion of the coupling means being of smaller diameter than that of said bearing provided at .said disc portion of said fixing means and extending from said flange in a direction opposite the direction of extension of said second hollow tube from said flange.

3. A blind according to claim I, wherein the pulley means includes a flanged third hollow tube having at its periphery at least two axially extending channels adapted to receive at least two ridges which extend axially along an inner wall of the rotary hollow tube, an annular groove in the periphery of the flange adapted for mounting an endless rope therearound under action of pressure of a ring spring, said flanged third hollow tube having a shaft of a length terminating in the plane of that face of the flange most distant from said third hollow tube.

4. A blind which comprises a rotary hollow tube for suspending and winding an element about the hollow tube, fixing means fixably mountable to wall means of a room for supporting said hollow tube, coupling means for rotatably connecting said hollow tube to one of the pair of fixing means, pulley means for rotatably connecting said hollow tube to the other of the pair of fixing means, each of the pair of fixing means including (a) a disc portion having at its periphery an inwardly projecting square rim comprising a straight and a curved portion respectively provided with (b) at least two recesses and two openings, said openings being positioned in symmetrical relation with said straight portions of the square rim, and (c) a horseshoe bearing provided, at the center of the disc, with an access opening adapted to receive shaft portions respectively provided on said coupling and pulley means, said coupling means including a flanged second hollow tube having at its periphery at least two axially extending channels adapted to receive at least two ridges which extend axially along an inner wall of said rotary hollow tube, said shaft portion of the coupling means being of smaller diameter than that of said bearing provided at said disc portion of said fixing means and extending from a flange of said flanged second hollow tube in a direction opposite to the direction of extension of said second hollow tube from said flange, said pulley including a flanged third hollow tube having at its periphery at least two axially extending channels adapted to receive at least two ridges which extend axially along an inner wall of the rotary hollow tube, an annular groove in the periphery of the flange adapted for mounting an endless rope therearound under action of pressure of a ring spring, said flanged third hollow tube having a shaft of a length terminating in the plane of that face of the flange formation on the third hollow tube most distant from said third hollow tube, said wall means comprising one of the side walls or the ceiling of the room. 

1. A blind which comprises a rotary hollow tube for supending and winding an element about the hollow tube, a pair of fixing means fixably mountable to wall means of a room for supporting said hollow tube, coupling meaNs for rotatably connecting said hollow tube to one of the pair of fixing means, pulley means for rotatably connecting said hollow tube to the other of the pair of fixing means, each of the pair of fixing means including (a) a disc portion having at its periphery an inwardly projecting square rim comprising a straight and a curved portion respectively provided with (b) at least two recesses and two openings, said openings being positioned in symmetrical opposed relation to said straight portions of the square rim, and (c) a horseshoe shaped bearing provided, at the center of the disc, with an access opening adapted to receive shaft portions respectively provided on said coupling and pulley means.
 2. A blinding according to claim 1, wherein the coupling means includes a flanged second hollow tube having at its periphery at least two axially extending channels adapted to receive at least two ridges which extend axially along an inner wall of said rotary hollow tube, said shaft portion of the coupling means being of smaller diameter than that of said bearing provided at said disc portion of said fixing means and extending from said flange in a direction opposite the direction of extension of said second hollow tube from said flange.
 3. A blind according to claim 1, wherein the pulley means includes a flanged third hollow tube having at its periphery at least two axially extending channels adapted to receive at least two ridges which extend axially along an inner wall of the rotary hollow tube, an annular groove in the periphery of the flange adapted for mounting an endless rope therearound under action of pressure of a ring spring, said flanged third hollow tube having a shaft of a length terminating in the plane of that face of the flange most distant from said third hollow tube.
 4. A blind which comprises a rotary hollow tube for suspending and winding an element about the hollow tube, fixing means fixably mountable to wall means of a room for supporting said hollow tube, coupling means for rotatably connecting said hollow tube to one of the pair of fixing means, pulley means for rotatably connecting said hollow tube to the other of the pair of fixing means, each of the pair of fixing means including (a) a disc portion having at its periphery an inwardly projecting square rim comprising a straight and a curved portion respectively provided with (b) at least two recesses and two openings, said openings being positioned in symmetrical relation with said straight portions of the square rim, and (c) a horseshoe bearing provided, at the center of the disc, with an access opening adapted to receive shaft portions respectively provided on said coupling and pulley means, said coupling means including a flanged second hollow tube having at its periphery at least two axially extending channels adapted to receive at least two ridges which extend axially along an inner wall of said rotary hollow tube, said shaft portion of the coupling means being of smaller diameter than that of said bearing provided at said disc portion of said fixing means and extending from a flange of said flanged second hollow tube in a direction opposite to the direction of extension of said second hollow tube from said flange, said pulley including a flanged third hollow tube having at its periphery at least two axially extending channels adapted to receive at least two ridges which extend axially along an inner wall of the rotary hollow tube, an annular groove in the periphery of the flange adapted for mounting an endless rope therearound under action of pressure of a ring spring, said flanged third hollow tube having a shaft of a length terminating in the plane of that face of the flange formation on the third hollow tube most distant from said third hollow tube, said wall means comprising one of the side walls or the ceiling of the room. 